Statement on the Passing of the Honourable Andrew Telegdi

January 24, 2017

The Honourable Andrew Telegdi was a proud and dedicated leader of our community and it was with great sadness I learned of his passing.

Andrew came to Canada in 1957 from Hungary as a refugee and proved to be larger than any challenge as he chose to contribute to making Canada an even better place. He often said, “my Canada is an inclusive Canada” because he knew we must involve every Canadian in the decisions we make at all levels of government and throughout everything we do. As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms this year, we will remember him in all that we do. For Andrew, the Charter enshrined all that Canada has to offer and more.

As the Member of Parliament for Kitchener – Waterloo, Andrew demonstrated what it means to represent the voices of our community. As the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, he showed his dedication to public service and devoted his life to democracy. Andrew earned the respect of his colleagues in Ottawa on all sides of the House and across the nation by being an outspoken and passionate advocate for what he believed in.

I am proud to call Andrew a friend and mentor and I along with the community will miss ‎him and his advice as much as we will all miss his contributions.